Dick Institute facts for kids
The Dick Institute front elevation (2017)
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| Established | 1901 |
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| Location | Elmbank Avenue, Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland |
| Type | Visitor attraction, museum and library |
| Collections | Historical artefacts concerning Kilmarnock and its history |
| Visitors | 130,000 per annum |
| Founder | James Dick |
| Owner | East Ayrshire Council |
The Dick Institute is a cool place in Kilmarnock, Scotland. It's a public library, a museum, and an art gallery all in one! It first opened its doors in 1901. Today, it's a top spot, rated 4-stars by VisitScotland!
Just eight years after it opened, a big fire damaged the building. Many things inside were lost, but brave staff saved lots of paintings! The building was fixed up and even became a hospital during World War I. After the war, it went back to being a library and museum.
Now, the Dick Institute is a very important cultural place in Scotland. It has the biggest museum and art gallery in Ayrshire. It's also the main library for East Ayrshire. Some people even call it "Scotland’s finest municipal gallery"!
Contents
History of the Institute
How It Started
The Dick Institute first opened in 1901. The money to build it came from James Dick. He was born in Kilmarnock in 1823 but lived in Australia.
Sadly, a big fire badly damaged the building in 1909, just eight years after it opened. Some of the museum's collections were lost. But the building was repaired and reopened in 1911. During World War I in 1917, it was used as a special hospital.
What You Can See Today
The Dick Institute has many exciting things to see. They have important art shows and permanent displays from their own collections. You can also see work by artists, filmmakers, and young people from the area. This has made the Dick Institute well-known for its amazing exhibitions and events.
Past big exhibitions have featured famous characters like Miffy, Quentin Blake, and Wallace and Gromit. They have also shown works by top Scottish artists such as Kenny Hunter and Christine Borland.
The South Museum and Loom Room tell stories about the local history of the area. There's also a special Johnnie Walker display. It shows pictures and items from the company and the institute's own collections.
The North Museum wing has items from nature and archaeology. These displays have been updated to show even more items, including some that people have never seen before! On the ground floor, you'll find the main library, a library just for kids, a learning center, and a cafe. The building is also easy to access for everyone.
Art and Museum Galleries
The Main Gallery at the Dick Institute hosts many traveling exhibitions. This is possible because the museum works with big national places like TATE, the Design Museum, National Galleries Scotland, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Some cool exhibitions shown here include Quentin Blake, Bricktropolis (made with Lego!), Miffy, and Wallace and Gromit.
The Dick Institute also shows temporary exhibitions from "Scotland’s leading contemporary visual artists." You might see works from artists like Christine Borland and Rachel Maclean.
The museum galleries inside the Dick Institute have displays that are important to the history of East Ayrshire. You can see a copy of John Wilson’s printing press. This press printed the very first book of Robert Burns poems, called Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect. This book is also known as The Kilmarnock Edition. You can also see original Burns manuscripts, like parts of Tam O’Shanter. The gallery also has many historical items about Johnnie Walker whisky, which started in Kilmarnock in 1820.
Visitors and Events
More than 130,000 people visit the Dick Institute's exhibitions every year. Plus, over 4,700 people take part in the special events and workshops that the institute organizes.
